


Why Don't We Try That Again - Prologue

by Crowley (Tay_Cipher7)



Series: Why Don't We Try That Again [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Angst, Dark Anakin Skywalker, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, In a way, Introspection, Jedi-critical, No Beta We Die Like Clones, Post-Duel on Mustafar (Star Wars), Pre-Slash, Republic-Critical, Sith Anakin Skywalker, Suitless Darth Vader, also in a way, check the notes!, for a treat, i cant wait to see what happens next and im the one who wrote it, tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:35:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28987212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tay_Cipher7/pseuds/Crowley
Summary: This was what the Jedi did, what the Republic does. They take and they burn and they make lives more miserable under the guise of peace and prosperity while lying to themselves. They ruin. They thrive in the war and blind themselves to the truths of the Force because it is the ‘Jedi way’. No passion, no love, no anger or hate or fear. No life. They take and they breathe hypocrisy, they learn the lies and weave them into their very way of life, pretending they are any better than the Empire or those they condemn so viciously.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker (implied)
Series: Why Don't We Try That Again [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2126328
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Why Don't We Try That Again - Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a one-shot that can be read as a stand-alone, as it was first written as such. This one-shot inspired the works that will come after, which is why it has been set as the Prologue.
> 
> If you're curious about what will eventually come after, consult the notes at the end.

  
  
Obi-wan abandoned him.

Left him to _burn_. To _die_. To writhe in pain so unimaginable he didn’t notice the tears through the white expanse behind his eyelids. The betrayal itself nearly stung as bad as the flames as they cauterized the wounds where phantom limbs now rested, licked at his skin until it blistered and ate away at what was left of his legs like acid. 

And then, as if it could have not been worse, his heart broke. Shattered beyond conceivable repair as if it was a reflection of his physical form. 

When they had arrived on Musafar, Anakin didn’t plan on fighting Obi-wan he didn’t even want to. He never did, much to Palpatine’s displeasure. 

If it were up to him, he never would have. Never. But he had no choice, Obi-wan gave him no choice. His old Master just wouldn’t listen; refused to imitate the patience he always spoke so proudly of. Though it was hardly a surprise. Obi-wan never listened when he needed him to. If he had just let him _explain_ , to _tell him_. 

But he chose not to listen. Instead, he just spoke of hear-say and “prophecy” as pieces of Anakin’s form fell to the volcano’s magma. 

And then he turned away from Anakin like it was nothing. Like what he’d just done had been nothing. 

Like _he_ was nothing.

“I loved you,” Anakin whispered, broken into the sterile air as the new cybernetic legs and arm were connected to his nerves, searing into his mind with an unforgettable ache. 

He felt ruined, bitter, raw and cut apart until he was unrecognisable; until he was no longer the person he had been in what felt like was so long ago. He was reborn, rebuilt, as something new; his face and intact form remained, becoming what seemed like a facade, yet was the only similarity he had left. 

If people saw him, they would know his face, but that was all. The Prophecy child, Chosen One, the Jedi’s golden _slave_ , was dead.

This was what the Jedi did, what the Republic does. They take and they burn and they make lives more miserable under the guise of peace and prosperity while lying to themselves. They ruin. They thrive in the war and blind themselves to the truths of the Force because it is the “ _Je_ _di way”_. No passion, no love, no anger or hate or fear. No _life_. They _take_ and they _breathe_ hypocrisy, they learn the lies and weave them into their very way of life, pretending they are any better than the Empire or those they condemn so viciously.

It was pathetic. It was disgusting. It was cruel.

But now? Now Anakin wanted what he was due. The Jedi took and took and took until he had nothing left to give and then they took some more. They took his mother from him and watched as she suffered. They took his first Master from him and then moved on and forgot his name, a whisper to the wind. They tried to take away his only chance to learn even the most basic principles of the Force; even if those principles were “corrupt” through the scope of the Jedi way. 

They stole his heart and cast him aside and tried to tell him he was their Chosen One, that he was one who would bring balance to the Force before turning their back on him while he died in agony.

But, oh, he will take what he deserves. The Jedi were not wrong in their so-called Prophecy, they were just ignorant of how it would be fulfilled. How he would achieve that “balance” they held most dear. The Jedi, the fanatics they are, will suffer, even if by only a fraction of how he suffered.

Now Anakin knew freedom, pain, betrayal, anger and hate. He knew love and passion and fear and sadness and joy. He knew himself; even through the flex of his new cybernetics. 

The golden yellow of his eyes and the auburn of his hair made him look like the force itself burst into flame, but instead of burning him, it kept him warm. Kept him safe. “I loved you so much it hurt, but to you, I was nothing.” Not a friend, not a brother, not even a fond memory as a Padawan.

He would make Obi-wan pay. He would give him the pain of a thousand suns imploding; of a billion souls left to rot in the force’s neglect. He would bring Balance, ensure the Empire’s reign, and then gift Obi-wan and his beloved order a fraction of the agony he and them, in turn, put Anakin through.

The mirror was unforgiving as he stared through it and into himself. His Master’s energy was so clear to him, as if he could touch the force signature if he just reached out and _tried_. It left a bitter taste on his tongue. “My heart was yours; my life was yours, but it is _'_ _not the Jedi way',_ ” Anakin sneered, the molten gold of his eyes glinting with sheer rage and heartache. “And you turned your back on me. You _l_ _eft_ me. You left me for _them_.” It was unforgivable.

The Jedi, always the hypocrites. Ignorant of their own doings simply because it doesn’t please them. They say the Empire breeds war and destruction and suffering, but the Jedi do too. And the Republic; more-so than the Empire ever will, despite its history. 

There was a sour taste in Anakin’s mouth that took over the bitter ash on his tongue. It was acrid and full of something he could not yet describe yet was becoming intimately familiar with. 

He took a breath and spoke through the force, willing his words to be inherently understood. He hoped they’d haunt the dreams of the man he entrusted with his whole being once. 

_“You will understand, Obi-wan, that the line between love and hate is so thin that it takes me no effort to cross over and wish to bring your heart suffering so brutal you could only hope for a quick death. By the Force, you will know, you will get a glimpse of what you and your order have done to me and you will know,”_ Anakin whispered forcefully, tongue full of venom and spite as he glared into the dark expanse of his own expression. 

Anakin straightened and donned his saber. 

He and his _Master_ would meet once more in the future, Anakin will ensure it, but not until Obi-wan watches his order fall into ruin and his Republic burns like he once burned.

Not until Obi-wan breathed in the very ash of everything he cared for. Until he _knows, understands,_ Anakin’s abuse so intimately he cannot separate himself from it.

The force _pulsed_.

Anakin _breathed_.

He’d never forgive, never forget.

A sharp smirk spread slowly across his face.  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> **Well, I hope you enjoyed.**
> 
> So here's what's up:
> 
> \- One of my favourite things to do within this fandom is to speculate on the validity of each side, work with concepts we are all familiar with, and bend canon to its breaking point. I like to speculate and throw my favourite character's head-first into adventure and emotional turmoil and BAMF moments.
> 
> \- As such, the plan for this series is complicated and will be incredibly long. I will be looking at order 66; Ahsoka and Anakin's relationship (be it as siblings or Father-Daughter); Obi-Wan's and Anakin's relationship (specifically romantic); Padmé and Anakin’s relationship (strictly platonic; Luke and Leia are alive but the circumstances of their birth will be unique). 
> 
> \- I will be bringing in some of my favourite concepts of Tatooine Slave Culture, and thus how it reflects on Anakin's views of the world around him. I will also be looking at bringing back a reformed version of the Empire (Old Republic Era) and the Sith training academy on Korriban. As I'm bringing back Dromund Kaas and Korriban, I am also looking at Tython, Quesh, Voss, and other planets. (If it's not obvious, I play swtor.) 
> 
> \- Something to note is I'll be introducing a few OCs of various races and genders; (as such, I will be editing the Empire's historical racism as non-existent. They're simply classist now, as per usual. "We're a meritocracy.")
> 
> \- Some things I plan to explore are the moral implications of the force (and how close-minded it is to believe in Good vs. Evil/Light vs. Dark. Nothing is that simple, people. An besides, it's just boring if it ever is.) and bring in the history of Grey Jedi and Revan. I am also learning Huttese for the sake of this fic, and planning on getting an Aurebesh keyboard.
> 
> \- I have many other things in mind, so if any of this interests you, I encourage you to follow along.
> 
> **With all that said, Comments and Kudos keep me going!**
> 
> (If you like music, here's an Anakin | Vader Spotify playlist I'm creating that chronicles a more canon-reflective version of his life: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3O3C3sODhLUcpFlisBIT5U?si=LO2Lz2PQR8u1SBc4SkjQWw)


End file.
